Shorthand machines are used to record spoken words in a visual form. For example, stenographers typically use shorthand machines to record statements made in depositions, hearings, trials and other official proceedings.
The Stenograph Corporation is the assignee of the present invention. Shorthand machines manufactured by Stenograph have operated successfully and efficiently for many decades. Accordingly, Stenograph's employees have been granted numerous U.S. patents related to shorthand machines, including U.S. Pat. No. 2,319,273; U.S. Pat. No. 3,557,927; U.S. Pat. No. 3,731,278; U.S. Pat. No. 4,205,351; U.S. Pat. No. 4,323,316; U.S. Pat. No. 4,363,557; U.S. Pat. No. 4,363,558; U.S. Pat. No. 4,439,798; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,421,427. Each of these patents is incorporated herein by reference.
The conventional shorthand machine has a keyboard of twenty-two phonetically-related characters which, to the skilled operator, provides all the combinations necessary to record words and numbers. The record produced by the machine may be a paper tape on which the phonetic characters are printed, or the characters may be recorded on a magnetic tape medium.
FIG. 1 illustrates a novel shorthand machine 20 capable of recording and translating shorthand notes automatically. The details of the automatic translation features of the shorthand machine 20 are provided in U.S. application Ser. No. 07/822,293, filed Jan. 17, 1992, and assigned to The Stenograph Corporation. The entire disclosure of this application is incorporated herein by reference. The details of the paper tape recording features of the shorthand machine 20 are generally described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,319,273. The details of the electronic/magnetic recording features of the shorthand machine 20 are generally described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,557,927 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,205,351.
To record a word on a shorthand machine, the stenographer presses an appropriate combination of keys, and the machine mechanically prints the characters simultaneously on a paper tape, or in the case of electronic recordings, combinations of electronic pulses are recorded on a magnetic tape or disk medium. For paper recordings, the keys actuate associated type bars to cause the type bars to impact an inked ribbon to print characters on the paper.
An important feature of any shorthand machine is its portability. This is because stenographers must be able to set up operations quickly and efficiently in a variety of places. Thus, most shorthand machines are small and light enough to be carried by the average person.
Many shorthand machines are also provided with a coupling mechanism for mating with a collapsible tripod. FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate a known tripod 22 that can be used to support a shorthand machine. As shown in FIG. 2, the tripod 22 includes three collapsible legs 24, a main cylinder 26, a retractable stem 28, a height adjustment knob 30, and a coupler assembly 32 for mating with a coupling mechanism in the base of a shorthand machine. The use of an adjustable tripod 22 allows the stenographer to easily position the shorthand machine at a comfortable height. Tripods also allow stenographers to set up their shorthand machines without regard to whether there is a table or other similar structure available to support the machine.
The coupler assembly 32 includes an end plate 34 connected to the stem 28, and a coupler member 36 connected to a retractable tube (not shown). A clearance ring 40 (shown in FIGS. 8 and 9) is positioned around the retractable tube and adjacent to the end plate 34. The retractable tube extends through the end plate 34 and into the stem 28. The retractable tube is biased inside the stem 28 such that the clearance ring 40 is biased against the end plate 34. The clearance ring 40 ensures that at least a 0.070 inch clearance is maintained between the end plate 34 and the coupler member 36.
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, a known configuration for the base portion 50 of a shorthand machine 20a includes a base plate 52 having a slot 54. A coupling mechanism (not shown) is positioned behind the base plate 52. A pivoting lever 56 is provided for securing the tripod 22 in its attached position, and also for releasing the tripod 22 from its attached position.
The coupler assembly 32 shown in FIGS. 2, 3, 4 and 5 is mated with the base portion 50 shown in FIGS. 3 and 5 by first inserting the coupler member 36 into the slot 54 in the base portion 50. The tripod 22 is then rotated approximately 90 degrees until the coupler member 36 engages the coupling mechanism (not shown) in the base portion 50 of the shorthand machine 20a.
The most efficient method of engaging the base portion 50 to the tripod 22 is to first unfold the tripod 22, place it in a desired spot on the floor, and then lower the shorthand machine 20a over the tripod 22 to insert the coupler member 36 into the slot 54. In practice, however, this is difficult to do with known tripods because of the relatively small and precise mating orientation between the coupler member 36 and the slot 54, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.
As a result, the most efficient way to mate the tripod 22 to the base portion 50 is to grasp the tripod 22 in one hand and tilt it to the side such that the coupler member 36 can be viewed, grasp the side of the shorthand machine 20a in the other hand and tilt it to the side such that the slot 54 can be viewed, and then "look" at the coupler member 36 and guide it into the slot 54. This maneuver is illustrated generally in FIG. 3.
Although portable shorthand machines and tripods are light enough to be carried, it is still cumbersome to use the maneuver illustrated in FIG. 3 to engage the coupler member 36 in the slot 54. Thus, there is a need for a portable tripod and shorthand machine having a simple and efficient method of mating the tripod to the portable shorthand machine.